5 Ways to Increase Sales

You need more money coming in. If your business is fairly new, you know it’s normal to not have huge sales at the beginning but it is still really hard! You still need to pay your rent, loan payments, buy food and all the set up costs.

If you’ve been in business a bit longer it can be even more discouraging because you think you “should,” be doing better by now so you start feeling like a failure. The stress can be overwhelming!

Does this sound like you? You have a great service and feel confident about helping people with your skills, but you need more people to help.

It was the same for me. I remember being discouraged and comparing myself to other people who appeared more successful. I assumed they had tons of customers and I didn’t know why I didn’t. Asking that question is the first step. Here is what I learned and now my sales are consistent. I hope these steps will also help you.

1. Move past your negative self-talk as that will just zap your energy and keeps you stuck like a rat in a maze. Feelings of failure will just etch way at your self-worth. It won’t help you solve the problem. Let go of shame and get help.

2. Decide to find out what is not working and why. There is always a reason and it can take a new pair of eyes to help you see past your own blind spots.

The tendency is to make more poor decisions and keep doing the same things that aren’t working. If they aren’t working, doing them more doesn’t make it better. It just means you spend a lot of energy without a positive return.

3. Learn how marketing and sales are inter-related. When you follow a strong marketing plan, people begin to trust you and see you as an expert. They will self-select to work with you and tell their friends. Most people skip these steps and lunge right into trying to convince people, because of their own financial stress and not understanding the system. It doesn’t work. Figure out what is holding you back.

Your momentum and excitement at first will bring you some business, but it won’t last the long haul without staying focused on a strategy based on a sound marketing plan.

4. Listen to your customers or clients. The backbone of your marketing plan is based on knowing your niche customers intimately. What makes them tick and what is their problem they need help with. What benefits do they want and why.

The home page of your website needs to be all about these people and what they want. Make sure your home page is written in plain language, non-technical as most people are being driven by their emotional need.

5. Help people make the decision to hire you. Focus on the benefits they want and help them to see how receiving the benefits will make a significant difference to them. If they are hesitant then ask what that’s about.

Most people are stopped by either money, time or trust. They don’t want to spend the money or think they don’t have it. If they hire you they need to see the return on their investment and it’s up to you to help them see how that will work. Timing is always important and people will make time for something if they see it is being very important.

If you are offering a service, people need to trust that you can help them. You develop trust via your marketing process, listening and giving value.

Remember– just because you are a skilled professional and an expert at what you do, doesn’t mean you are an expert at running your business.

These five steps are essential and help and focus. It will be worth it in the long run when you begin to see your sales increase. Which of these five steps are you already doing and which ones do you need help with? Ask a question and I am happy to respond.